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Explain why it is important to ensure children and young

people are protected from harm within the work setting. One of the most important responsibilities of anyone who works with children and

young people is that they can be trusted. Parents need to be absolutely certain that

their children will be safe and protected from harm in any kind of professional care.

Young children are very vulnerable and depend on their parents or other carers to

fulfil their basic needs, such as nutrition, warmth, shelter, love and attention. As

young people move from childhood to adulthood they are becoming more

independent and learning how to meet their own needs, but still require guidance,

supervision and support. Research evidence from neuroscience has provided much

information about the development and maturation of the brain in childhood and

adolescence. There is a considerable re-organisation of the brain around the period

of puberty, particularly in the frontal cortex, (the “reasoning” area of the brain,

involved in emotional and impulse control) and the area of the brain associated with

reward and pleasure.

Ensure children and young people are protected from harm.

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Did you know?

In 2011-12 over 600,000 children in England were referred to local authority

children’s social care services by individuals who had concerns about their welfare.

(Working Together to Safeguard Children, DfE 2013).

However, these systems do not develop in tandem. The system related to reward

and pleasure develops much more rapidly than the impulse control and strategic

decision-making functions. Studies also suggest that adolescents are still developing

the ability to deal with social and emotional distress, making them less able to cope with rejection and social exclusion.

This means that young people are not always aware of risk and danger. They may

not consider the potential consequences of their actions and this can contribute to

increased engagement in risk-taking behaviours. It is therefore very important for

professionals who work with young people to understand their duty of care. In

relation to safeguarding, those duties specifically relate to:

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Safeguarding principles

Duty of care

Recognising and meeting physical, emotional and

psychological needs

Understanding child development, observing children’s development and behaviour, communicating with parents and carers

Anticipate danger and manage risks

Conduct risk assessments, discuss risk with children and

young people, support safe, appropriate risk-taking

Intervene and provide support in the event of illness or injury

Seek appropriate support, treatment or first aid as required, report to relevant authorities

Be alert to the potential of exploitation, abuse or neglect

Know how to recognise indicators of abuse or

neglect, follow child protection procedures

Provide guidance and supervision of play and activities

Set clear expectations and appropriate boundaries, use strategies to manage behaviour, support creativity and exploration

Respect and value children’s rights

Treat all children and young people with equality

and fairness, protect from discrimination